1. Field of the Invention
The present invention mainly relates to a mounting structure for an axle rolling bearing.
2. Description of the Related Art
An axle rolling bearing in a vehicle has such a structure as shown in FIG. 42. This axle rolling bearing 100 includes an outer ring member 102 which is non-rotatably supported by a mounting member 101 mounted to a vehicle body (which mounting member will be referred to as xe2x80x9cknucklexe2x80x9d hereinafter), an inner ring member 103 which is arranged inward in the diameter direction of the outer ring member 102, and balls 104 in a plurality of rows which can freely roll between the outer ring member 102 and the inner ring member 103.
An mounting structure for attaching the axle rolling bearing 100 constituted as stated above, to the knuckle 101 will be described below.
This mounting structure includes an annular anti-slip piece 105 which is formed by protruding the vehicle inner side A outside surface of the knuckle 101 inward in the diameter direction so as to restrict the outer member 102 from moving toward the vehicle inner side A. In addition, this mounting structure includes the following means for restricting the outer ring member 102 from moving toward a vehicle outer side B.
Specifically, this means has a sleeve 106 of an L-shaped cross section which is fitted into the vehicle outer side B edge section of the outer ring member 102, and a groove 107 which is formed in the end portion of the vehicle outer side B inner peripheral surface of the central bore of the knuckle 101. The sleeve 106 has elastic pieces 108 engaged with the groove 107 at predetermined intervals in the peripheral direction of the sleeve 106.
With this mounting structure, if the outer ring member 102 is inserted into the central bore of the knuckle 101, the elastic pieces 108 are pressed by the end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the central bore of the knuckle 101 and bent to be fall toward an axial center. If the outer ring member 102 is inserted into a predetermined position, i.e., inserted until the end portion of the outer ring member 102 abuts on the anti-slip piece 105, then the elastic pieces 108 rise by their own elastic forces and enter the groove 107. The outside surfaces of the elastic pieces 108 abutted on and engaged with the wall surface of the groove 107, whereby it is possible to prevent the outer ring member 102 from slipping out to the vehicle outer side B.
Meanwhile, recently, the reduction of axle rolling bearings of this type in the direction of the axial center is underway. With the mounting structure shown in FIG. 42, however, the bent portion of the sleeve 106 protrudes from the outside surface of the outer ring member 102 toward the vehicle outer side B by as much as the thickness thereof (as indicated by xcex1 in FIG. 42). In addition, the wall surface of the end portion of the central bore is required to have a predetermined length so as to allow the elastic pieces 108 to fall and the knuckle 101 is required to have that length in addition of the axial center accordingly.
As can be understood, if the axial width of the knuckle 101 is secured for the mounting structure, the degree of freedom of design is disadvantageously lowered.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a mounting structure for a rolling bearing (or an axle rolling bearing, in particular) capable of decreasing the axial width of a knuckle as much as possible and improving the degree of freedom of design.
The other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the invention.
A rolling bearing mounting structure according to the present invention is for mounting a rolling bearing to an insertion bore formed in a support member, wherein the support member non-rotatably supports an outer ring member provided at the rolling bearing around an axial center, and the rolling bearing mounting structure is provided with: an anti-slip piece formed on an axial end portion of the insertion bore formed in the support member, for preventing the rolling bearing from slipping out of the insertion bore toward one of one side and the other side of the insertion bore in a direction of the axial center; a first concave section formed at a position halfway along the insertion bore in the direction of the axial center, in a circumferential direction; a second concave section formed at a position opposed to the first concave section in a diameter direction on an outer peripheral surface of the outer ring provided at the rolling bearing, in the circumferential direction; and an anti-slip member engaged with engagement surfaces formed on the first concave section and the second concave section, respectively, and preventing the rolling bearing from slipping out of the insertion bore toward the other one of one side and the other side of the support member in the direction of the axial center.